Is Hyundai’s Steering Wheel Screen a Good Idea?

Carlos Kirby
· 4 min read
In an effort to stay relevant, many
automakers
like Hyundai are inventing new ways to make technologically competitive vehicles. This competition has resulted in the tailgate wars for trucks, in an effort to make the truck bed more responsive and accessible. 
For vehicles across the board, screens have become a hot topic when trying to stand out from the crowd.
Hyundai
is now ready to throw its hat in the ring, and prove that it can put a screen in the one place no one has ever thought of.
Read on to understand how Hyundai is about to reinvent the steering wheel.
What does the future of display screens on a steering wheel look like?

Hyundai is rethinking screens

Screens have become a major part of driving. Just fifteen years ago, it was reserved for only top-tier luxury automobiles. Since then, the screen display has become so common that many potential buyers will walk away from a car if it doesn't have one.
Automakers are more than aware of this, and they're going to great lengths to change the size, shape, and location of screens. Hyundai is changing up things by adding a screen to the steering wheel.
Or that's what
Autoblog
thinks, anyway. A recently unearthed patent filed in Germany paints a very clear picture of what Hyundai has in mind. But how will the Korean automaker pull this off?
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How will this work?

At the moment, there are no other cars on the market with a screen in the steering wheel, so there are naturally some questions about how Hyundai will manage this. The pictures on the patent show a small rectangular screen placed squarely in the middle of a round wheel.
Some are wondering why a vehicle would need a screen in the middle of the steering wheel, to begin with, but Hyundai has a ready answer. Some people have a hard time seeing the instrument cluster because it's tucked firmly behind the wheel. 
It's an excellent point, and the design seems to be simple enough. If Hyundai follows through with this patent, then all drivers will need to do is look down at the wheel to know important information such as how fast they're going, if the engine is overheating, or when they need to schedule an oil change. There are some concerns about if this will really work, however. 

There are some drawbacks to Hyundai’s plans

As great as all this seems, there are a few questions about if this will work. For example, will the screen be stable? And what about the airbags which are usually located in the steering wheel? How will they deploy?
Hyundai has already figured out how to solve the airbag problem. The screen and the airbag are spaced apart, so they aren't touching. They are also on separate mounts, so if the airbag deploys, the screen shouldn't deploy with it.
As for the screen’s movement with the steering wheel, that isn't so clear. Hyundai recently showed how this could potentially work with the 2019 Genesis Mint concept, which had a similar idea. In this case, the screen was separate from the steering wheel, so even though it was located there, the steering wheel could move independently without disturbing the screen.
The picture in the patent, however, doesn't appear to show the two as separate. If that's the case, when the wheel moves, then so does the screen. 
This could prove to be very distracting for drivers. On the other hand, it's hard to know exactly what Hyundai has in mind from just a patent.
Even though it may be a while before this new screen hits the markets, finding the right insurance can't wait.
Jerry
can make the process easier, however. 
Whether you need a new policy because you're buying a Hyundai Veloster or just want a lower rate, Jerry will help by providing you with a list of the top insurance companies to meet your specific needs.

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